Starting and lighting unit.



F. B. RAE, STARTING'AND LIGHTING UNIT.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.27..l 9l6.

1,246, 1 56. Patented Nov. 13, 1917 FRANK B. RAE, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

STARTING .AND LIGHTING UNIT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 13, 1917.

Application filed November 27, 1916. Serial No. 133,550.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, FRANK B. RAE, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have'invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Starting and Lighting Units, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a motor and generator unit to beused in connection with an engine for the purpose of starting the engine and subsequently utilizing a portion ofthe power of the engine to operate the dynamo for the purpose of charging a battery and furnishing current for lighting Purp .The object of the invention is to provide a compact star'tin'g'and lighting unit, which as a unit may be mounted upon an engine or adjacent thereto, and which by a single connection with the engine may function both for starting purposes and for charging or lighting purposes.

A further obj ect of the invention isto provide a substantially. direct drive from the motor part of the unit to the engine, and a secondary drive from the engine to the generator portion of the unit.

A further object of the invention is to provide certain features of construction whereby a simple, self-contained starting and lighting unit may be made.

Generally speaking, the invention comprises the elements and combinations thereof set forth in the accompanying claims.

Reference should be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is an elevation with portions in section of the complete starting and lighting unit; Fig. 2 is a sec tion upon the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; 3 is an elevation showing a detailv of construotion; Fig. 4 is an elevation with portions in section showing a detail of construction; Fig. 5 is a section slightly enlarged, of a portion of the section shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 6 is a section similar to Fig. 5 with certain parts removed.

Starting and lighting outfits which are particularly designed for use upon motor vehicles should be as compact as possible so asv to take up a minimum amount of room. Moreover, it is an advantage if the start ing and lighting outfit may be placed upon the motor vehicle as a self-contained unit,

structure 5 of the motor.

thus making it necessary to provide a single mounting for the starting and lighting outfit. Furthermore, there is a. distinct advantage in having a. direct drive from the starting motor through to the engine, inasmuch as the driving force of the motor is applied substantially directly to the engine, thereby gaining certain mechanical advantages which are apparent.

In the present construction there is a cen tral housing 1, which at its opposite ends is provided with flangesQ and 3.. To the flange 3 there is secured a fixture 4:, which at its central portion 5 provides a bearing. Cooperating with this fixture 4 is the pole This need not be described in detail as pole structures for motors are very well known, and this pole structure has no special features of novelty. It will be apparent that the pole structure 5 may involve as many poles as are desirable or necessary for the motor.

Bearing against the pole structure 5 is a motor end cap 6. The various fixtures which have been described are secured to each other and to the flange 3 by means of bolts 7, which extend through suitable openings provided in the aforesaid instrumentalities, there being several of these bolts 7.

The motor end cap 6, carries fixture 8,

which is provided with a recess that receives a bearing 9.

The pole pieces 5 are provided with suitable windings such as indicated at 10.

Cooperating with the bearings 5 and 9 is a shaft 11. Upon this shaft there is an armature core 12 which carries suitable windings 13. These windings cooperate with a commutator 14 in a manner which is well known.

The end cap 6 of the motor is provided with suitable brackets. one of which is shown at 12*, for carrying the motor brushes, one

be described. The fixture15, the pole parts 16 and the end cap 17 are secured to each other and to the flange 2 by means of suitable bolts, one of which is indicated at 19.

Within the cap 18 there is a fixture 20 which is secured to the cap, this being provided with a central bearing portion 21. The fixture 20 is secured by means of an annular member 22 which is secured to the casing as indicated at 23.

Upon the fixture 22, suitable brush holders 24 are carried which support brushes 25. These brushes cotiperate with a commutator 26 that is carried upon a hollow shaft 27. Upon the hollow shaft 27 there is an armature core member 28 which may be of any suitable construction, and cotiperating with the core 28 are windings such as indicated at 29, these being suitably connected with the commutator 26.

The central portion of the fixture 15 is formed to serve as a bearing as indicated at 30, and the hollow shaft 27 finds bearing at one end in the bearing 13 and at its opposite end in the bearing 21.

l/Vithin the casing 1 there is a transmission mechanism which joins the shaft 11 with a shaft 31, the shafts 31 and 11 as shown being in alinement. This transmission mechanism is inserted between the shafts 11 and 31 so that the driving relationship between the shafts 11 and 31 may be such as to produce considerable torque when the driving force of the motor is applied to the engine. In other words, the power produced by the motor, which operates at high speed, is changed so that the shaft 31 is operated at lower speed but with considerably increased torque.

The particular transmission mechanism shown in the drawing is one which I prefer to use, but I do not wish to confine myself to such a transmission mechanism as shown, inasmuch as it is possible to use other forms of transmission mechanism.

The form shown in the drawing comprises a fixture 32 which is secured to the casing 1. This fixture 32 has a central recess which receives a bearing 33. This bearing supports one end of the shaft 31. Upon a face of the fixture 32 there is a beveled gear track 34 which cotiperates with gear teeth formed upon an annular member 35. This annular member 35 has rearwardly extending arms 36 which terminate in a partially spherical member 37. This member 37 cotiperates with a spherical opening 38 formed in the member 39, that is secured upon the shaft 11, and as will be noted, the spherical member 38 is off center with respect to the shaft 11. Therefore, as the shaft 11 rotates, it causes the member 35 to wabble and the gear teeth 34 to travel with respect to the gear teeth upon the fixture The central portion of the member 35 has a recess which receives a bearing ring 40 which pivotally supports a yoke 41 so that the yoke 41 may turn with respect to the parts which support it. The shaft 31 has a pin 42 extending through it, which is pivotally supported in the yoke 41. Therefore it will be clear that the shaft 31 has a universal connection with respect to the member 35.

The whole structure which has just been described is for the purpose of reducing the speed imparted from the shaft 11 to the shaft 31 and increasing the torque, and the relationship in this respect between shafts 11 and 31 will be varied in accordance with the distance of the spherical member 31 from the center of the shaft 11. In the present instance the mechanism is arranged so as to provide a speed relationship between shafts 11 and 31 of 30 to 1.

Cotiperating with the generator end cap 18, and secured thereto is an end housing 50. This end housing at its central portion has a bearing 51 which receives a shaft 52 upon which is carried a gear 53. This gear is by suitable means connected directly with the engine. Upon the inner end of the shaft 52 and within the housing 50is a driven fixture 54. This fixture is secured upon the shaft 52 and turns therewith. The fixture 54 has an inwardly extending flange 55. In the inner surface of the flange 55 there are a series of recesses as indicated at 56 in Figs. 2 and 3.

WVithin the flanged portion of the fixture 54 there is a driving element 57. This driving element is keyed upon the shaft 31. The element 57 has formed in it a series of in clined pockets illustrated at 58, in which are balls or rollers 59. These balls or rollers 59 move outwardly under centrifugal action when the shaft 31 is turned, and engage with the pockets 56 formed in the flange 55 of the fixture 54, and as these pockets are only deep enough to receive not more than half of the roller or ball 56, there will be formed a driving relationship between the element 57 and the fixture 54. The structure just described is a structure operating in a manner very well known, and simply serves as a centrifugally operated ball clutch to clutch the shaft 31 with the shaft 52 when the shaft 31 is turned at suliicient speed to throw the balls outwardly so that they will have a clutching aetion.

Upon the end of the hollow shaft 27 there 61 which are carried by the fixture 54 as shown in Fig. 5. This construction is merely one way of securing a. driving relationship between the fixture 54 and the plate 59.

The hollow shaft 27 carries at one end a bearing ring indicated at 2", this bearing ring receiving the shaft 31 near the end engine attains its speed it will rotate faster than the shaft 31. iVhen this takes place, the shaft 52 will be turned faster than the shaft 31, but the ball clntch previously described permits the shaft 52 and the parts carried thereby to overrun and the shaft 3 rotates at the speed at which it is driven until the motor is stopped.

Rotation of the shaft 52 will cause rotation of the hollow shaft 27 of the generator through the connections 5 1 and 59, which are carried respectively by the shafts 52 and 27;

When the shaft 31 is turned and causes the fixture 51 to turn, the shaft 27 will be turned, but this turning is merely incidental, for the real driving force of the shaft 31 is through the ball clutch applied directly to the shaft 52.

As will be clear, when the shaft 52 is driven from the engine, the hollow generator shaft 27 will be turned.

From the description given it will be clear that I have provided a self-contained unit which has a single operative connection with the engine and this device as a unit may be mounted upon or adjacent the engine in connection with which it is intended to be used. Furthermore, the motor and engine are so connected with each other as to form a direct drive, and forming a part of this unit is a transmission mechanism which permits a reduction between the motor and the element which directly drives the en g Nothing in this application has been said of the electrical connections, because these electrical connections may be such as are usually employed, and of course it will be understood that the current from the generator is preferably delivered to a battery carried by a motor vehicle, which battery serves not only to supply electricity to the lighting, and perchance ignition system of the car, but also serves to furnish electricity for the operation of the motor in starting the engine.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:-

1. A starting and lighting unit comprisconnected with the transmission mechanism, a shaft connected with the transmission mechanism, a shaft adapted to be connected with an engine, a clutch connection between the last mentioned shafts,v and a connection between the shaft adapted to con nect with the engine and the generator shaft.

A starting and lighting mechanism comprising a self-contained unit structure having a motor part and a generator part, a casing to which the motor part and the generator part are connected, a transmission mechanism within said casing, a motor shaft and a generator shaft, a power shaft adapted to be connected with the engine, the motor shaft being connected with the transmission mechanism within the casing, means for connecting the transmission mechanism directly with the power shaft,

and means for connecting the power shaft with the generator shaft.

3. A starting and lighting set for use in connection with an engine, a motor having a shaft, a generator having a shaft, the said shafts being in alinement, an engine connection in alinement with the motor and generator shaft, means for connecting the motor shaft directly with the engine connection, and means connecting the engine coi'lneetion with the generator shaft.

4. A starting and lighting set for use in connection with an engine, a motor having a shaft, a generator having a shaft, the said motor and generator shafts being in alinement, an engine connection having a shaft which is in alinement with the motor and generator shafts, means including an overrunning clutch for connecting the motor shaft directly with the shaft of the engine connection, and means connecting the engine connection with the generator shaft.

5. A starting and lighting set for use in connection with an engine comprising a motor havingashaft and a generator having a shaft, the said shafts being in alinement, an engine connection mounted upon the said set and in alinement with the said shafts, means including an overrunning clutch for connecting the motor shaft directly with the engine connection, and means for connecting the engine connection with the generator shaft.

6. A starting and lighting set comprising a motor and a generator, a motor shaft, a generator shaft, a power shaft adapted to be connected with an engine, a transmission shaft operatively connected with the motor shaft and adapted for direct connection with the power shaft, and means connecting the power shaft with the generator shaft.

7. A starting and lighting unit comprising a motor part and a generator part, a motor shaft, a hollow generator shaft, a transmis sion shaft extending through the hollow generator shaft, operative connections between the motor shaft and the transmission shaft, a power shaft, means for connecting the transmission shaft directly with the power shaft, and means connecting the power shaft with the generator shaft.

8. A starting and lighting unit comprising a motor part and a generator part, a hollow generator shaft, a transmission shaft extending through said hollow generator shaft, means for connecting said transmission shaft with the motor, a power shaft, a connection between said power shaft and the hollow generator shaft, and an overrunning clutch mechanism for connecting the transmission shaft directly with the power shaft.

9. In a starting and lighting unit a dynamo electric machine having a stator and a rotor, a hollow shaft upon which the rotor is mounted, a transmission shaft extending through said hollow shaft, a power shaft adapted for connection with an engine, means connecting the power shaft with the said hollow shaft, and an over-running clutch for connecting the transmission shaft with the power shaft.

10. In a starting and lighting unit for engines a dynamo electric machine comprising a stator and a rotor, a hollow shaft upon which the rotor is carried, a transmission shaft extending through the said hollow shaft, a power shaft adapted to be connected with an engine, a member carried by said power shaft, means connecting the said member with the generator shaft, and a clutch element carried by the transmission shaft and cooperating with the member carried by the power shaft.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my signature.

' FRANK B. RAE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

